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Sunday 5 February 2023

Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveler (Hadith Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)

Man is mortal!! This is something that we have been listening to since our early school days. But the wisdom behind this phrase start to dawn on a man when he walks along a path or travels and ultimately ends up in his journey at his destination. No destination is infinite for every beginning has an end. Life too is like a journey: we are born and we commence our life long journey till we find our final resting place, our grave. Even if we manage to stuff our suitcases with precious souvenirs and fancy clothes, the end is in a state when a man has nothing but his body which rots away in a few days under the earth.

What remains with man is his good or otherwise deeds that he did during his earthly life. These are his invisible companions that accompany him on his next journey to the Day of Resurrection when he will be rewarded or awarded for all he did. So let us stuff our suitcases with good virtues that will save us when none other will come forward for help.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has referred men as strangers and traveler for he has no permanent home. He carries on his journey as long as he lives. If he chooses the right path, his end will be rewarding, leading to Jannah / paradise. But if he walks on paths that are though fascinating and inviting with lewdness and sins, his destination will be the burning fire of hell. 

This Hadith is mentioned in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī  (Book 81 - To make the Heart Tender (Ar-Riqaq) كتاب الرقاق / Chapter 3: Be in this world as if you were a stranger باب قَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ كُنْ فِي الدُّنْيَا كَأَنَّكَ غَرِيبٌ، أَوْ عَابِرُ سَبِيلٍ ‏ ) as Hadith 6416, given herein under:

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَبُو الْمُنْذِرِ الطُّفَاوِيُّ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ الأَعْمَشِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مُجَاهِدٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ أَخَذَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِمَنْكِبِي فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ كُنْ فِي الدُّنْيَا كَأَنَّكَ غَرِيبٌ، أَوْ عَابِرُ سَبِيلٍ ‏"‏‏.‏ وَكَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ يَقُولُ إِذَا أَمْسَيْتَ فَلاَ تَنْتَظِرِ الصَّبَاحَ، وَإِذَا أَصْبَحْتَ فَلاَ تَنْتَظِرِ الْمَسَاءَ، وَخُذْ مِنْ صِحَّتِكَ لِمَرَضِكَ، وَمِنْ حَيَاتِكَ لِمَوْتِكَ‏.‏

Narrated by Mujahid:

`Abdullah bin `Umar said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) took hold of my shoulder and said, 'Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveler." The sub-narrator added: Ibn `Umar used to say, "If you survive till the evening, do not expect to be alive in the morning, and if you survive till the morning, do not expect to be alive in the evening, and take from your health for your sickness, and (take) from your life for your death."

So, choose your path for your life long travel well, lest embarking upon a journey of pleasures alone robs us of our good reward at the end.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

Please refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

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